A major area of interest in genome biology, especially in light of the determination of the complete nucleotide sequences of a number of genomes, is targeted integration of one or more sequences of interest into desired locations. Attempts have been made to alter genomic sequences in cultured cells by taking advantage of the natural phenomenon of homologous recombination. See, for example, Capecchi (1989) Science 244:1288-1292; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,528,313 and 6,528,314. If a polynucleotide has sufficient homology to the genomic region containing the sequence to be altered, it is possible for part or all of the sequence of the polynucleotide to replace the genomic sequence by homologous recombination. However, the frequency of homologous recombination under these circumstances is extremely low. Moreover, the frequency of insertion of the exogenous polynucleotide at genomic locations that lack sequence homology exceeds the frequency of targeted homologous recombination by several orders of magnitude. Sedivy and Joyner (1992) Gene Targeting, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
The introduction of a double-stranded break into genomic DNA, in the region of the genome bearing homology to an exogenous polynucleotide, has been shown to stimulate homologous recombination at this site by several thousand-fold in cultured cells. Rouet et al. (1994) Mol. Cell. Biol. 14:8096-8106; Choulika et al. (1995) Mol. Cell. Biol. 15:1968-1973; Donoho et al. (1998) Mol. Cell. Biol. 18:4070-4078. See also Johnson et al. (2001) Biochem. Soc. Trans. 29:196-201; and Yanez et al. (1998) Gene Therapy 5:149-159. In these methods, DNA cleavage in the desired genomic region was accomplished by inserting a recognition site for a meganuclease (i.e., an endonuclease whose recognition sequence is so large that it does not occur, or occurs only rarely, in the genome of interest) into the desired genomic region.
Various methods and compositions for targeted cleavage of genomic DNA have been described. Such targeted cleavage events can be used, for example, to induce targeted mutagenesis, induce targeted deletions of cellular DNA sequences, and facilitate targeted recombination at a predetermined chromosomal locus. See, for example, United States Patent Publications 20030232410; 20050208489; 20050026157; 20050064474; and 20060188987, and International Publication WO 2007/014275, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes.
However, there remain needs for compositions and methods for stable targeted integration into a safe harbor locus within the genome, in particular, the non-essential endogenous PPP1R12C (also known as p84 and/or AAVS1) gene locus.